:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63874819/i.0.jpeg)
TEXAS A&M 8, FLORIDA 7
Jonathan Ducoff had a flair for the dramatic on Tuesday morning. The Texas A&M leftfielder not only hit a go-ahead homer in the bottom of the 8th inning, but he delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th to push the Aggies into the next round of the SEC Baseball Tournament.
Ducoff’s walk-off knock scored Cam Blake and subsequently sent the Florida Gators home after an 8-7 win for the Ags. The Gators had quite a disappointing season this year, and it all came to an end on Tuesday, as a postseason bid is looking like a longshot now. The Aggies, meanwhile, look safe right now after this win and will hope to continue their trudge onward on Tuesday.
Ducoff joined catcher Mikey Hoehner and star shortstop Braden Shewmake as the Aggies who collected two hits on the day. The trio combined to go 6-for-13 at the dish, amounting for six of the nine hits they racked up on the day. The other three were dealt by Blake, Will Frizzell and 3rd baseman Ty Coleman. Three of these hits went for extra bases, as Shewmake hit a double, and Ducoff and Hoehner hit homers.
Florida didn’t hit any long balls, but still picked up three XBH. One went for a double off the bat of centerfielder Jud Fabian. The two three-baggers were put in play by 2-hitter Austin Langworthy and rightfielder Wil Dalton.
A&M was able to put up three runs on the board in the bottom of the 3rd. 1st baseman Hunter Coleman brought Ty Coleman in on a sacrifice fly to get things started. Then it was Hoehner who hit an RBI single that brought Shewmake across to score. After a throwing error, rightfielder Zach Deloach trotted in to give the Ags a 3-0 lead. Florida would not respond until the 5th inning. With two outs, shortstop and leadoff hitter Brady McConnell brought two in — Jacob Young and Cory Acton — with an RBI single.
The Gators were not done from there as in the top of the 6th, they were able to even things up. This was thanks to a bases loaded walk drawn by the aforementioned Young, which scored catcher Brady Smith.
The two teams wouldn’t score in the 7th inning, but in the 8th, Wil Dalton scorched a triple down the line that brought Smith all the way around to score. After a sacrifice fly by 1st baseman Kendrick Calilao, which scored Dalton, the Gators carried a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the 8th. That’s when the Ags put up a four-spot. Hoehner hit a solo homer with two outs that cut the lead down to one. A few batters later, Ducoff took the stage and swung away and put a 3-run homer over the fence.
Were the Gators done after this? Absolutely not. Austin Langworthy tripled to bring Jud Fabian home, and then Nelson Maldonado tied the game with an RBI single to bring Langworthy in. Credit to Florida for not giving up, but ultimately, the Aggies were able to bring the win home in the 10th thanks to Ducoff’s aforementioned walk-off single.
A&M will now wait to play Georgia on Wednesday morning.
OLE MISS 2, MISSOURI 1
Mizzou’s offense could only scrape one run on seven hits in a 2-1 defeat to the Ole Miss Rebels on Tuesday.
The Tigers left six runners on base throughout their nine innings of play, including two on their final at-bat and opportunity to score some runs. As a result, Mizzou is out of the SEC Tournament and will now await their NCAA Tournament hopes next Monday.
Things started off well for the Tigers. 3rd baseman Austin James ripped off a double in the 2nd inning, a hit that brought rightfielder Thomas Broyles around to score. But the Tigers would then go scoreless for the remainder of the game.
Will Ethridge gave up the one earned run, but struck out 26 of the batters he faced. He allowed just two extra base hits — both doubles, hit by James and Broyles — and allowed no walks on the day, as well. He also was the one who gave up the seven hits, but kept the Tigers at bay for the most part, besides the action that went down in the 2nd inning.
Ryan Olenek and Tyler Myers combined to allow no hits and four strikeouts in the final two innigs of the game. They allowed just one free pass, had one HBP and two flyouts. Myers struck out the side in the 9th, while Olenek was the one who shut the door in the final frame.
In the bottom of the 5th inning, the Rebels tied and then took the lead for good. This was thanks in part to the play of Thomas Dillard and Cole Zabowski. Dillard hit an RBI double which allowed for 2nd baseman Jacob Adams to score. Then, Zabowski smacked a single to center field, which allowed for Dillard to come around to score to give Ole Miss a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Ole Miss is now on to play 2nd-seeded Arkansas on Wednesday.
AUBURN 5, TENNESSEE 3
The Auburn Tigers are moving on in the SEC Baseball Tournament.
The Tigers defeated the Tennessee Volunteers 5-3 to earn a date with the top-seeded Vanderbilt Commodores. Tennessee, meanwhile, heads home and their postseason chances are very much up in the air now.
Things didn’t start so well for Auburn out of the gate. A sac fly by 2nd baseman Jack Rucker brought home Andre Lipcius. Two innings later, Auburn overtook the lead off of a two-run double by 3rd baseman Edouard Julien.
The Tigers led 2-1 heading into the 5th, when the Vols equalized the game at two. This came after a wild pitch, which allowed for right fielder Christian Scott to run in to score. But the game wouldn’t be tied for too long. In the ensuing stanza, leftfielder Judd Ward hit a bunt single, which paved the way for Julien to run in to score.
Auburn would tack on two more runs in the 7th inning, once again thanks to Ward. This time though, Ward swung for the fences and sent one out of the yard in Hoover to give the Tigers a 5-2 lead.
Zach Daniels hit a homer in the 9th inning to add one more run for the Vols, but Auburn pitcher Cody Greenhill shut the door the rest of the way to give Auburn the victory.
LSU 8, SOUTH CAROLINA 6
LSU was able to hold on in the final game of the night on Tuesday to advance in the SEC Baseball Tournament.
The Fighting Tigers escaped with an 8-6 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks. The victory did not come easily however, as despite their 13 hits on the day, the Bayou Bengals committed three errors, which certainly put them in a bind at times.
It also wasn’t easy when you consider that the Tigers were put in a bad spot early on. After a Josh Smith homer gave LSU an early 1-0 lead, South Carolina romped pitcher Cole Henry in the top of the 2nd. A 1-out single by Brady Allen, and a catcher’s interference ruling that put George Callil aboard later, Chris Cullen roped an RBI double to bring Callil and Allen in to score. Noah Campbell was then hit by a pitch, and after TJ Hopkins struck out looking, Andrew Eyster singled Cullen home.
Matthew Beck then took the mound, but things didn’t get any easier. A wild pitch sent Eyster and Campbell to 2nd and 3rd, and then Luke Berryhill drove them in with a two-RBI single. The five-hit, four-run and one-error inning put LSU on their heels. But the Tigers certainly showed an immediate amount of fight. With two outs in the ensuing stanza, Cade Beloso brought Josh Smith and Brandt Broussard in to score to make it 5-3.
The two teams would go scoreless for the next few innings. In the bottom of the 4th though, LSU got back on their horse. South Carolina made two pitching changes in the inning. The first to start was Dylan Harley for Cam Tringali. That didn’t fare well, as Harley hit Hughes with a pitch, and then threw two wild pitches that allowed for Hughes to go to 3rd. He was then replaced by Parker Coyne. Coyne struck Broussard out, but couldn’t get Smith out, as Smith singled to bring Hughes in. Antoine Duplantis then doubled to bring Smith to 3rd, and after another wild pitch, Smith ran in to tie the game. Two batters later, now with two outs, Daniel Cabrera hit a single through the right side of the field that allowed for Duplantis to score to give LSU the lead.
In the bottom of the 5th, LSU struck again. The first run came after an RBI single by Antoine Duplantis that allowed for Hal Hughes to score. Then, Beloso made another impact, singling himself to bring Broussard in across the plate to extend the lead.
South Carolina would score only one more run the rest of the way. In the top of the 8th, Hopkins hit a sac fly, which allowed Callil to score.
LSU will play Mississippi State on Wednesday.